“This blue-green was ideal in a 1920s seaside bungalow. It’s beachy, but it’s also classic. I could see it in a European breakfast room. The mirror pops against it—that contrast is the key to making this tiny foyer feel dynamic.” —Jaime Rummerfield

Make it yours: Sherwin-Williams Hazel 6471

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Julien Capmeil

Griffin

“Combine coffee, dark chocolate, and a hint of gray, and you get this luscious brown. In a library alcove it creates intimacy — and intrigue. By highlighting the mantel’s creamy white limestone, it directs your attention to the fireplace, pulling you in. You want to discover what’s happening in this tucked-away nook. Once you enter, you’re enveloped in cozy warmth.” —Kristin Kong

Make it yours: Sherwin-Williams Griffin SW 7026

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Simon Upton/The Interior Archive

Crisp Ginger Ale

“This is a small space off the family room that we set up for the kids to do their homework. Yellow is not a color I use much, but this is a gentle yellow, more like straw. It’s fun for the kids but it doesn’t look juvenile. Shelves show off their artwork, and we covered a bulletin board in bright fabric. When the mirrored doors are open, it’s chic and surprising.” —Suzanne Kasler

Make it yours: Glidden Crisp Ginger Ale GLY2

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Björn Wallander

Pussywillow

“There’s a luminosity to this gray that reminds me of a Tahitian pearl. Moody, with an old soul, the color fluctuates with the shadows and times of day." —Jill Sharp Weeks

Make it yours: Sherwin-Williams Pussywillow SW 7643

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Karyn Millet

Lullaby

“The owners of this home, avid sailors who spend long stretches in the tight confines of a sailboat, wanted their master bedroom to feel airy. With this calming blue-gray, the room expanded. It’s a restful color, very tranquil and easy on the eyes.” —Phoebe Howard

Make it yours: Sherwin-Williams Lullaby Sw 9136

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George Ross Photographs

Alabaster

"The charm of this sunroom — and the reason it works so well — is that I didn't treat it like one long, narrow space. Instead, I divided it into individual areas, unified by color. Because the pale whites of the painted floor, the wool curtains, and the upholstery blend together, it doesn't feel crowded. To guide your eye through, there are contrasting woods and intervals of black." —Michael Aiduss

Make it yours: Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008

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John Gruen

Sparkling Sage

“In my country house, I turned a stair landing into a special place where I could sit and watch the sun set. The paint color—a light mossy green with a bit of gray in it—comes from the trees outside. I thought it would blend in with the foliage in summer. And in winter, when it’s icy and dreary, it reminds me that spring is on the way.” —Matthew Patrick Smyth

Make it yours: Valspar Sparkling Sage 5005-3

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8 of 26

House Beautiful

Down Pipe

“My philosophy is, the smaller the space, the darker the shade. I recently used this charcoal in a powder room from floor to ceiling. It’s modern and sophisticated, yet still cozy and chic. And don’t be afraid of using oversize artwork in tight quarters, either. It makes the space seem bigger than it really is!" —Hillary Thomas

Make it yours: Farrow & Ball Down Pipe 26

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House Beautiful

Sailor's Sea Blue

“I love bold color and, in my opinion, room size should not limit your palette. In a studio apartment, we chose this deep cerulean blue because it was vibrant, but at the same time peaceful and relaxing. Moroccan tile in blue, red, green, and yellow bordered the wood floor, and we used the yellow tones as inspiration for the fabrics.” —Carl D'Aquino

Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Sailor's Sea Blue 2063-4

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10 of 26

House Beautiful

Raisin

“I’m obsessed with this deep purple with chocolate undertones. It’s the kind of color that reveals itself in different ways, depending on the light. People think using a dark color in a small room makes it seem smaller, but that’s a myth. If you do everything in it — walls and trim — the boundaries get blurred and you can’t see where the room ends.” —Jeff Andrews

Make it yours: Sherwin-Williams Raisin SW 7630

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11 of 26

House Beautiful

Kelly Green

“Imagine opening the front door and seeing this bright kelly green in a high-lacquer finish. It’s fun and unexpected. Or it would be amazing in a bedroom, with white bedding and white furniture. It would make a small room feel special. Be fearless and add hot fuchsia, orange, or teal.” —Gregory McGuire

Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Kelly Green 2037-30

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House Beautiful

Chelsea Gray

“Some grays are battleship cold, but this is not. It’s warm and intimate. It reminds me of a very good men’s suit. I’d do the trim in white, and the upholstery in shades of gray silk and linen velvet. Bring in a polished-nickel mirror, an ebony side table. All the color in the room would come from the art.” —Heather Moore

Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray HC-16

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House Beautiful

Chinoiserie

“This rich Oriental red works wonderfully in an entry that you pass through into lighter rooms where you spend more time. It makes a small space more memorable. It’s a warm, inviting, and very stylish color.” —John Barman

Make it yours: Ralph Lauren Interior Paint Chinoiserie RL2241E

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Delft Blue

"I used this deep Mediterranean blue all over a living room — on the walls, on the moldings, on the cabinets, even on the floor, with a carpet in the same tone. By using it so completely, it makes the different planes all blend into each other. The color unifies the space and blows out the boundaries. You're swept away by the blue and have no sense of the size of the room." —John Barman

Make it yours: Fine Paints of Europe Delft Blue 4003

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Super White

"I painted my own apartment Super White, and when I walk in, it just clears my brain and makes me feel lighter. White reflects the light and makes the walls go away, so a small space seems larger. Some whites are blue, some are pink, some are green, but this is just white in its purest form, without any color. Yet it's not stark or cold, just light and airy." —Andrew Flesher

Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Super White 02

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Witching Hour

"I'm a great believer in disintegrating the edges of a small room by going dark and mysterious. This is a fantastic deep gray flannel that would be even more effective if you used it in high gloss to reflect the light and create more spatial magic. Pair it with crisp white moldings and white furnishings, with accents of powder pink, pale blue, lavender, or mint green." —Jamie Drake

Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Witching Hour 2120-30

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Claydon Blue

"Shadow can be your friend, especially in a small space. Painting a room a dark color camouflages the fact that it's small. A deep blue like this creates the perception of depth. The green in it warms it up and reminds me of those glazes on English Aesthetic Movement pottery. Lacquer it if you want more liveliness." —Thomas Jayne

Make it yours: Farrow & Ball Claydon Blue 87

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Nomadic Taupe

"This is a soothing sand color that expands a space and creates a feeling of warmth and continuity, especially if you use it on the ceiling and the walls. I like the way it takes on the color of the light coming in and yet keeps its own integrity. It's the perfect backdrop. The neutral walls recede and you focus more on the furnishings than on the size of the room." —William Miller

Make it yours: Dunn-Edwards Nomadic Taupe DE6192

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Brinjal

"If you paint a room aubergine, it instantly gives you a feeling of luxury. It's very rich, very regal, with a bit of mystery. The perimeter blurs, which makes a room feel bigger and more cavernous. I used this in my own living room and I like the way it changes with the light. During the day it's deep, deep purple, and at night it looks more brown. I love it with gray and any metallic fabric." —Philip Gorrivan

Make it yours: Farrow & Ball Brinjal 222

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Appalachian Brown

"I like to paint a small room a saturated color, which makes it feel grand and gives you the illusion that it's bigger. This is the deep, rich brown of French-roasted coffee beans. It would look very dramatic in high gloss on the walls. The whole room would shimmer. Paint the moldings the same color, but in a different finish, like eggshell. No white moldings — that would chop up the room and ruin the effect." —Nancy Boszhardt

Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Appalachian Brown 2115-10

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Mercury

"This is a celadon-y, silvery, mercurial color that I can't really define. It reminds me of the ocean on a calm day when it goes right into the sky. Somehow, it just creates an expansive feeling in me. Raspberry would be lovely with it. Punch it up with sunflower yellow or keep it very quiet with whites, silvers, and maybe a touch of turquoise." —Connie Beale

Make it yours: Christopher Peacock Paint Mercury CPP1 18

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Fresh Curry

"Everybody thinks white's going to do it, but it doesn't. This is a pale yellow with a little twist of green. It's the next best thing to sitting outside in a garden. It's like sunshine, and any room looks bigger when it's streaming with sunlight. Great with black-painted furniture and tangerine, red, or lime green." —Jennifer Garrigues

Make it yours: Potter Paints Fresh Curry 6254-2

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Horizon

"When I think expansive, I immediately think of the sky. This is a color that projects air and light. It has the luminosity of the sky and that airy, infinite quality. Clean and fresh and cloudlike. The chip looks white, but on the wall it can turn into the palest blue. It's a color with a lot of movement. It catches other colors and reflects them." —Phoebe Howard

Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Horizon OC-53

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Alexandria Beige

"As my father always said, a small room will look bigger if you paint it dark. The corners will be cast in shadow and you're not quite sure where they are. If you're scared to go really dark, this is a mid-tone taupe that allows you to hedge your bets. It's interesting — sometimes it looks gray and sometimes it looks brown. Pair it with anything from navy blue to hot pink — that's how versatile it is." —Alexa Hampton

Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Alexandria Beige HC-77

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House Beautiful

Shades of Spring

"Choose a color for the walls that you see outside. It will give you a sense that the room continues beyond the windows. In the country, it might be this crisp green, the green of stems in the garden, and leaves on the trees. Green is a color that makes me feel alive. It elevates your spirit, which is going to make any room feel larger. I see it with browns, creams, terra-cotta, persimmon." —Jay Jeffers

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